In 1800, Thomas Jefferson ran against the incumbent, John Adams, in arguably the most important presidential election in American history.  Jefferson claimed that the vote would “fix our national character” and “determine whether republicanism or aristocracy would prevail.”  Whether or not the nation’s destiny was at stake, the election was the first marked by mudslinging:  labeling Jefferson an atheist, Adams’ supporters carried placards reading:  “GOD--AND A RELIGIOUS PRESIDENT or JEFFERSON--AND NO GOD!”  In the end, Adams lost but for a while it wasn’t clear who had won:  Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of votes in the Electoral College and it took the House of Representatives seven days and thirty-six ballots to break the tie.  What was at stake in the election of 1800, and why was it so closely fought?  Students in this seminar will re-visit the election by researching the debate, state by state, in newspapers, political pamphlets, and the private letters of politicians and political observers.  Meanwhile, as the semester progresses, we will watch the current presidential election unfold, giving us ample opportunity to contrast contemporary political rhetoric with the charged campaigning of two centuries past.